Can't Be Human Again
by leahreid
Summary: Luke decides to investigate the series of strange incidents that are happening at the farm. The trail leads him to the person he had least expected to meet. Can it be real or is it just one of his dreams?
1. Cursed With A Miracle

This idea has been in my head for a very long time but I'm glad I have finally been able to write it down. Hope you all enjoy.

Also, I would like to thank my two wonderful betas **CantHelpThisSmile** and **Jewel Queen**.

Note : I'm not very sure if there are any forests in Oakdale but for the story's sake let's assume that there is a vast stretch of a dense forest beyond the pond near the Snyder farm.

* * *

** Cursed With a Miracle**

There was a deafening explosion when the train crashed into the car that had stalled on the tracks. The only person who was riding the now battered car lay barely conscious with blood all over him. Realization was quick to dawn upon Reid and he knew that he was soon going to die. Yet he found a strange sense of comfort and strength in the bitter taste of his own blood as it dripped onto his hungry tongue. Next thing he knew he was being dragged out of his car. He was swinging between the black and white of consciousness so often that it was making it hard for him to comprehend his surroundings.

"_He's not going to take it well. He never wanted to."_

"_Alex, there is no turning back from here. You know it." _

"_Let's take him away before he wakes up."_

A group of outlandishly dressed people were huddled around the injured man.

When Reid regained consciousness he could hear some people talking and concluded that he must be in the hospital, considering that he was still alive. Unbearable pain shot across his body as he tried to open his eyes. But instead of finding a group of doctors clustered around him he found some strange people staring back at him. A flicker of recognition passed through his eyes. And suddenly he knew. The wave of realization that hit him felt like cold water splashed across his face. He wanted to scream, fight and do whatever he could do to break free. He did try, though, but in vain. Being a doctor himself he knew pretty well, now, that the reason why he still had his heart beating was something more than a miracle. He was cursed with a miracle, he thought, realizing the bitter irony of life.

"Please," the voice was calm and beseeching, "you are hurt. Don't make it worse." The pain was numbing his clarity of thought and he ceased his struggle.

The leader of the group, Alex, looked at him and nodded. Then she spoke in an urgent voice, "Hurry everyone. We have to clear up before the police arrive."

"They'll suspect. There's blood all over," the woman with red hair remarked.

"They won't." Alex's voice was calm and steady. Then she turned to the youngest member of her group and said, "Gordon, you know what to do." And with that Alex and the others drove off with Reid. Gordon waved and then walked towards the wreckage with a twinkle in his eyes. Alex's order could not have been clearer. He knew exactly what he had to do. It's been a long time since he had had an opportunity to display his skills.


	2. Moving On

****Please do review! :)

* * *

**Moving On**

Four years had passed since Reid had died. Luke remembered how difficult the first few months were. The days had seemed to stagnate in time and his grief had only escalated. Sometimes he had felt numb and distant from everyone. And then there were occasions when his pain would became so crushing that it threatened to choke his lungs. He despised the haunting silence of those sleepless nights which was marred only by his soft muffled cries against the pillow. All he wanted was to break the shackles of the mortal world and cross over to the universe where Reid was.

But as the days passed, his numbness had eased. His parents encouraged him to date again and Luke stopped protesting. He had made peace with the fact that Reid was never coming back and so he decided to accommodate to his new life.

* * *

_Sixteen months later_

The Thanksgiving Dinner was always a big event at the Snyders'. The entire family would try their best to be present at the farm and be a part of the age old tradition. It was always a busy time for Emma who would spend days preparing for the occasion. This time she was glad that Luke was helping her out. Luke, too, was excited to be a part of it again. He had been avoiding all family functions ever since Reid's death. But now he felt good enough to get back to his old life. With Lily's constant coaxing he had rekindled his relationship with Noah and things seemed to be moving smoothly.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Luke!" Noah had arrived early to get some time alone with Luke. He greeted the blonde with a deep kiss that left him breathless. Luke was relieved that his old feelings for Noah were resurfacing.

"You too" Luke replied and lightly kissed his boyfriend back.

They were all sitting at the dinner table and Emma was counting her family's blessings. She loved doing this. And everybody usually had something to contribute.

"Jack and I are getting married, again." Carly announced. The entire family cheered and congratulated the soon-to-be married couple.

"Congratulations, you both." Emma clapped with joy.

"And we're having a baby." Meg announced. She had married a new guy named Leslie and he had so far proved to better than all her previous suitors.

"Aww…" Emma cooed, "congratulations to you too." She hugged Meg dotingly. She was glad that her youngest child had finally steered herself away from trouble.

"Would anyone else like to share some good news?" Emma asked again and looked around expectantly.

"Mum and Dad are still together." Faith said with a sly smile. Everyone laughed. They all knew how unstable Holden and Lily's marriage always was.

"I have some good news too," Noah said nervously. Luke blushed. He knew what Noah was going to say. Everybody looked at Noah with a curious expression.

"Luke and I are engaged," he said with a big smile on his face.

"Woohooo…!" Lily cheered the loudest. She had, after all, worked hard to make it happen.

"I'm so happy for you!" Emma was thrilled and so were the others. Noah had been their clear favorite from the beginning. They had never really liked Reid that much.

"Phew! Now I am relieved." Lily let out a long happy sigh. She hugged and kissed Luke and Noah, her favorite couple.

"Thank you so much for getting us back together." Noah told Lily. She was too overwhelmed to answer so she just hugged him tight.

"So many weddings in the family, aren't we excited?" Emma seemed to be in a particularly good mood. This had to be one of the happiest Thanksgivings in a long time.

Later that night Luke and Noah stood close to each other in the deserted backyard.

"Luke?" Noah's voice was loaded with doubts.

"Yes?" Luke answered. Noah looked at him intently. Luke wondered what his boyfriend had in mind.

"Move in with me?" The brunette asked.

"Don't you think that all this is a little too hurried?" Luke asked Noah. He only hoped that his boyfriend would not get offended.

"No I don't. Do you?"

"I'm not very sure about this." Luke replied earnestly.

"You don't want to move in with me?" Noah seemed disappointed.

"No, I want to." Luke stated.

"But you just said that you were unsure about this." Noah was apprehensive.

"I'm not sure because of you." Luke tried to explain.

"What do you mean?"

"Look Noah, the last time we dated I remember you weren't really a fan of rushing things. And I find it strange that this time you are the one rushing with everything."

"No." Noah replied resolutely, "I know the mistakes I made the last time we were together. And I'll be damned if I repeat them."

"I know you won't." Luke told Noah, "I trust you." Somehow Luke liked the new Noah better. At least this time Luke was not the only one in the relationship who was making all the efforts.

Noah smiled and then leaned in to kiss his boyfriend. The two lovers shared a passionate kiss in the dark before they walked back inside. But before they entered the house Noah steered Luke in the opposite direction.

"Let's take a walk around the pond," he whispered seductively in Luke's ear. Luke shivered as the hot breath of his boyfriend tickled his neck.

"Really?" Luke pouted. He was too tired to walk.

"Please?" The brunette pleaded softly. He knew all the tricks to win Luke over.

"But it's so cold, Noah," he tried to change Noah's mind.

"It's not."

"How about we watch a movie instead?" Luke suggested.

"Come on!" Noah seemed so adamant that Luke finally agreed.

They walked along the pond arm in arm occasionally exchanging loving glances. They talked about stupid things and laughed heartily, filling the gloomy night with a happy sound.

Oblivious to the young couple, a mysterious man was quietly observing them from a distance. The brunette did not interest him but looking at the blonde made his senses go wild. His mouth watered with anticipation and want but he knew he had to wait for the right moment.


	3. The Neighbors Nobody Knew

****I've finally photoshop-ed a cover picture for the story. :D

* * *

**The Neighbors Nobody Knew**

There were several vampire families walking the earth, seemingly since time began. Most of them preferred to reside in obscure places like forests or abandoned islands, really any place that they could be left alone in peace to live their unorthodox lives.

Twenty two hundred years ago, one such group of vampires found the perfect dwelling place while they were travelling through the city of Illinois. The old house had not been lived in for a long time and there were no neighbors in the immediate surroundings. It was simply the perfect place to lead a quiet existence. They had been searching for many years, travelling all over North America and seeing many different places in their time, but none appealed to them as much as the mansion they currently resided in.

Their leader, Alex, was a charismatic and powerful woman. She was known to be among the wisest and the oldest vampires across the world. Nobody knew exactly how old she was. But she was older than everybody else and it seemed that she had been walking the planet for eternity. Whenever any of her kind was born anywhere across the world, she would immediately get to know through her visions. Human science and technology could never tell these unusual babies apart. When they would come of age, she would inform them of their true self. These special births were rare and rarer was the possibility that they would ever make a complete transition. However only those who were born as vampires could transition and this transition took place upon tasting blood. Once they had tasted it, there was no way out.

Another prominent member of the group was a red haired woman who specialized in herbs and medicine. Em, as they called her, possessed healing abilities which were legendary. She had been a doctor in her human life and had successfully transferred her talents to the supernatural world.

Gordon was the most recent transition and yet he was two centuries old. He had some extraordinary abilities in metamorphosis which had intrigued Alex from the very beginning. He was a shy kid when she had first met him. Little did she know then that he would one day become one of her most loyal and reliable accomplice.

Then there was Greta who was a talented witch and Jerry whose hunting skills were second to only Alex's.

There were other members too and each of them had their special talents. Alex seemed to have instinctively handpicked all of them. Over the years they had formed a special bond with each other. They even thought of each other as family rather than associates.

Years passed and the vampire family continued their clandestine existence in the neighborhood of the town. They also got two new recruits who would later stir up a lot of trouble.

However, the vampire family soon realized that the people of the city were too stubborn to leave them alone. They would often travel through the forest and stop to visit their mansion unbeknownst to the danger they were putting themselves into. The younger members of the group would sometimes instantly lose control and devour the unfortunate human. Alex was worried and upset about these incidents. Besides, some of the newly transitioned members were taking too much liberty and would often go out in search of prey, killing innocent people. Consequently she sent many of them to remote locations to practice restraint. She knew that the disappearances and deaths of the residents would lead to rumors and unwanted attention.

From then on all the vampires exercised great caution. They grew thick and tall bushes all over the stony path to discourage the town people from walking through it. Oakdale residents termed it the 'forbidden path'. Greta supervised several pranks on the overtly adventurous campers who would try to get into the old mansion. She knew that they would never again dare to step this way if they were scared out of their wits. Soon there were rumors about the mansion being haunted, and the traffic through the forest reduced to naught.


	4. A Strange Sighting

It's getting darker.

* * *

**A Strange Sighting**

"I'm done for today and I'm going home now. See ya, Damien." The day's working hours were over and Luke was exhausted. He rubbed his tired eyes and made his way towards the door.

"You sure you don't want to wait till the storm passes?" Damien asked him. The sky was turning darker, forecasting the approaching rain.

"No thanks. I'll probably be home by the time it rains." Luke answered. He had begun to hate the work he was doing with Damien. The shipping business was never really his thing. He wanted to get home as soon as possible. There could be nothing worse than getting stuck in the gloomy headquarters of the Grimaldi Shipping Company while it rained outside.

* * *

The lightening in the sky lit up his way every few minutes. It was raining hard and the sound of thunder was growing louder. Luke was trying to keep his pace steady while walking the flooded path to the farm. The storm was chasing him like a wild animal and Luke began to run as a strong gale snatched his umbrella. As he neared the pond, his eye caught the silhouette of a man lurking in the shadows of the few scattered trees surrounding his grandmother's house. The man seemed to be trying to peek into the house through one of the windows. A chill ran down Luke's spine and an unknown fear took hold of him. He glanced behind him, expecting to find some company with the few passers-by. But the road was a deserted stretch running till eternity. His feet froze and refused to carry him any further. It was not so much for the shady stranger that his fear escalated but for the eerie resemblance of the man's silhouette to someone hauntingly familiar. He hid himself behind one of the bushes nearby and watched. Much to his dismay, he realized that his surroundings had become unusually dark. It had stopped lightening and the sole glow from the window of his house was too dim to reach his eyes.

A few moments passed and Luke could hear his heart beat faster every second. And then the sky cackled loudly and lit up the dark surroundings for a moment. Luke inadvertently let out a shrill cry which caught the attention of the intruder. For a fraction of a second their eyes met and before Luke could comprehend what he saw, the man had vanished into the woods.

"Luke." He was startled as someone came up behind him. "What happened? Are you alright?" Holden was kneeling beside him with concern written all over his face.

* * *

"I fainted." Luke lied. He did not want his family going all silly with concern for him. And he did not dare tell them about his disturbing adventure lest they thought he had gone crazy again. They would probably dismiss the entire incident as a figment of his imagination but Luke knew well that whatever he had witnessed was too real to be just a hallucination.

Holden was quiet while Lily spoke with passionate concern about how Luke should be more careful.

"I think I need to talk to Damien. He shouldn't have let you go out in such a bad weather." Lily said furiously.

"No mom, please. That's not necessary." Luke pleaded with her.

"But how did you faint?" She was too tenacious to let go easily.

"I just did. There was lightning and I did–," Luke hated explaining. He already had enough on his mind. The mysterious stranger lurking near his house had left him disquieted. But his parents were too anxious.

"Did you get struck by the lightning? I thought I heard you scream," Holden asked.

Lily had a troubled look on her face.

"I don't remember." Luke quietly replied. Holden only nodded. Luke supposed that his father could guess that he was keeping secrets.

"I think I'll rest for a while." Luke said. He wanted some alone time to think over the strange incident he had witnessed.

Much to his relief, his parents did not bother him any further. Little did he know that they had something else on their minds.

Luke sighed as he entered his room. He was still in shock. He could not understand why the stranger would choose to peek in rather than just show himself and ask for the person he was searching. Besides, Oakdale was a small town and Luke knew almost everyone around. But somehow he could not remember seeing anybody with as wacky a taste in clothing. It struck him as most peculiar that the ancient overcoat the mystery man was wearing made him look like a character right out of some Victorian novel. And then there was this brief glimpse he caught of his eyes. They were bloodshot. This was the part that frightened him the most.

He threw himself on the warm bed and closed his eyes. Countless questions and suspicions plagued his mind.

_What_ _if the man was a murderer or a thief on the loose to harm the people in this town?_

_Surely, a thief would not be dressed that way._

_But was he even human?_

_Or was he a ghost?_

_Did he look like Reid or was he just imagining that? _

None made any rational sense to him. He had dozed off to sleep when a loud knock on his door woke him up.

"Yes?" He called out with a tired voice.

"Hey, Luke!" Noah greeted him with a big smile.

Luke groaned inwardly but tried to keep a cheery countenance in front of his new boyfriend.

"You wanna catch a movie tonight?" Noah asked him excitedly.

"Sure." Luke replied trying to sound equally excited. He knew that his parents must have told Noah to check on him. It had taken him years to finally be able to move on from Reid and when he did his parents made sure that it was with Noah. And Noah had always been too eager to get back with Luke.

"Let's go!" Noah's enthusiasm was making Luke uncomfortable.


	5. The Signs Are Telling Me

****Here's the next chapter!

* * *

**The Signs Are Telling Me**

It was late at night and everybody had retired to bed in the Snyder household. Save for Natalie and Luke.

Luke quietly hummed as he brewed some hot chocolate for Natalie who had a bad cold. The radio played an old song which was Luke's favorite. It reminded him of Reid. Though he remembered how Reid had trashed it for being 'sickeningly romantic'.

_I believe my heart What else can I do When every part of every thought Leads me straight to you I believe my heart There's the world of choice For now whenever my heart speaks I can only hear your voice_

Natalie sat by the window of the kitchen, staring into the darkness. "Luke," She suddenly called in an alarmed voice, "There is someone standing near the pond."

"What?" Luke seemed bewildered. Whoever would be outside in the dead of the night braving the bitter cold, he thought. He came to the window Natalie was sitting by and looked outside. A dark figure was moving very close to the pond. It was trying to break the icy surface of the frozen water by kicking hard into it. The rhythmic blows echoed through the silence of the night. Luke's eyes widened with horror and recognition. The mysterious stranger he had encountered a few months back had come to haunt him again. He could only stare out of the window in silence.

Then the most unexpected thing happened. A part of the frozen surface gave away with a splash and the figure jumped right into the unforgivingly cold water.

Luke and Natalie gasped in unison. For the next few minutes they waited for the stranger to bob up the surface of the water but he did not.

"He drowned himself!" Natalie cried in horror. "I think we should go and help."

Luke cringed. The last thing he wanted was to venture out in the cold and dark night looking for the mysterious person who had just drowned himself to death.

"That was a prank to get us," Luke laughed nervously and tried to diffuse the gravity of the situation. "Don't pay attention to that," he told Natalie.

"It's not funny." Natalie wondered if Luke was drunk. He was not making any sense.

"It's a prank!" Luke tried to convince his sister.

Unfortunately for Luke, Natalie would not buy it. "Still, let's go and see for ourselves." She insisted.

"We can't go out there all alone!" Luke cried.

"So you're just gonna leave someone to die in our pond?" Natalie looked at Luke with a disgusted expression.

"Ok fine. Let's get some help." Luke said reluctantly.

Luke and Natalie could only convince Jack and Carly to believe their bizarre story. Holden and Lily laughed it away and they did not want to disturb Emma. But by the time they reached the edge of the pond to investigate, it had begun to snow heavily. Surprisingly, the puncture in the sheet of frozen water had sealed itself. They stared at it in silence, contemplating their next move. Inside the forest a wolf howled loudly as if it were delivering a bad omen. Luke shivered. "Maybe we should go back." He suggested. He had dismissed his previous strange sightings as hallucinations but this time he knew he was not the only one having them. And this thought was not in the least bit comforting.

"Are you sure you saw it happen?" Carly asked Luke and Natalie in a hushed voice.

Luke and Natalie looked at each other not knowing how to answer.

"Yes," Luke answered, but he could hear uncertainty in his own voice.

Carly and Jack were not very pleased. They thought that Luke must have been seeing things and yet the eeriness of the surroundings seemed to fit in with his strange narration.

It was snowing hard as they quietly made their way back and none of them bothered to look back. If they had, they would have seen the shadow of a human head suspended above the pond.

Luke did not sleep peacefully that night. His nightmares only became worse. A strange sense of uneasiness was gripping him. He got up and glanced outside his bedroom window. It had stopped snowing and the town was covered in a sheet of white. Luke's eyes searched the area near the pond and what he saw made him jump back a step. Luke held his breath and his eyes followed the trail of the dark silhouette of the mysterious stranger. But the figure soon plunged into the dark shadows of the thick trees.

Luke sighed and sat down on his bed. His knees shook violently. Whether it was because of the bitter cold or the fear that was fast gripping him, he could not tell. But he resolved to get to the bottom of the problem lest it drive him insane. He knew well that none of his family would believe him so he decided to talk to someone else about it. He needed to know more about the history of the place in order to investigate the mystery. The signs were telling him that the farm was haunted and he hoped to put the restless spirit at rest.


	6. The Forgotten Tales

****I have, ofcourse, assumed that the Snyder farm is near a forest (which I'm not very sure exists)

* * *

**The Forgotten Tales**

Barney had been working at the Snyder farm for several years now. The octogenarian had refused to retire from his job and had insisted on working till the end of his days. He was respected and known for the admirable strength and spirits he still had despite his years.

"Hi, Mr. Barney." Luke's voice was uneasy. He clearly remembered laughing and playing with the old man when he was little. Yet he felt like a total stranger. Unlike his sisters, Luke had completely withdrawn himself from the farm and much of his family. Barney looked up and his glassy eyes glimmered with recognition.

"Umm, I-" Luke stammered, "May I ask you something, Mr. Barney?"

"Yes?" Barney's voice was cold and business-like.

"Did anyone ever drown in that pond?" Luke asked, his gaze wandering towards the calm green stretch of clear water.

Barney looked at Luke, taken aback by the strange question. "No. But why do you ask?"

"Oh it's nothing. I was just wondering." Luke tried to dismiss his own question. "I must have been hallucinating."

But Barney's grave expression and inquisitive eyes did not seem to let go of the matter easily.

"You wouldn't have taken the trouble to ask me if it were nothing." Barney's honest observation made Luke blush. He fidgeted nervously under the old man's stare and then decided to tell him everything.

"I think this place is haunted." Luke was sure that Barney must think him crazy. He was surprised that the old man was even entertaining his fears. But instead of a smirk he saw a grim look on Barney's face.

_It couldn't be, _Barney thought. He had heard a lot more tales than other people had but his rational self had always reminded him that any ghostly haunting was a mere figment of one's own imagination. But then he could not deny what he had seen with his own eyes. And had he not been too proud to admit it he would say that the real reason why he never ventured out alone near the pond at night was not because the cold was bad for his old bones but because he was _scared_. "Tell me." His voice was firm and demanding. His gaze was fixed upon Luke who looked visibly anxious.

"I think," Luke began, "there is an apparition that haunts this place. I've seen it often wandering near the pond."

Barney seemed worried. He looked at Luke and said, "You'll think I'm crazy but there is an old myth that used to haunt the people of this town several years ago."

"A myth? I've never heard of any," Luke said.

"Well, it soon died down. Nobody talks about it now but I do remember."

"You know it?" Luke said excitedly. And before he could ask Barney to narrate it to him, the old man was already recounting it.

"Camouflaged by the thick forest, there is an old mansion that stands at a little distance from the pond. Those few residents who knew about it considered it to be haunted."

"But I've never heard about it." Luke was surprised by the revelation.

"Well, there are very few people who know about it. Many years ago, this city was abuzz with hushed rumors about the mansion and the disappearances," Barney continued.

"…Disappearances?" Luke's eyes widened with curiosity.

"Yes, some people believed that the disappearances that happened were somehow connected to the old mansion. Though, I'm not surprised that it's no longer talked about. It was a long time ago and I was a small boy then."

"But how is this connected to the strange things I've been seeing?" Luke asked.

"There is an old path that runs through the forest. It connects to the mansion, too. All the disappearances have said to have happened along that way. Rumor has it, whoever walked into that old mansion, be it out of curiosity or for shelter, never walked out."

"You think that there are ghosts in that mansion?"

"Well, I'd say that ghosts would be the least of our worries. You might consider this insane but I think there are monsters living there."

Luke did not know how to respond to this. He knew he would be lying if he said that he did not believe in anything supernatural. He half expected to see Reid's ghost ever since Katie told him about her visions of Brad.

"Well, thank you for sharing this with me." Luke said earnestly and started to walk away.

"Be careful." Barney called out. "I would be the last person to believe in such nonsense had I not seen it with my own eyes."

Luke stopped dead in his tracks and turned back.

"Back when I had only started working here, I often spotted mysterious dark and hooded figures roaming about at night. Initially I thought they were lost travelers or campers. But one night I ventured too close to the edge of the forest. When I saw an injured man lying across my path I immediately ran up to him to offer some help. He had a deep gash on his neck and his blood was all over." Barney continued.

"_How did this happen?" a young Barney asked the dying man._

"_Monsters…" he replied, pointing towards the forest. Barney's eyes followed the direction. He saw someone walking down the forbidden path. The figure turned and looked back to reveal glinting red eyes which shone fiercely even in the darkness. They were to haunt Barney for the rest of his life._

When Barney concluded his narration there was a faraway look in his eyes. Luke swallowed hard. Could it be possible that the vampires were back again, he thought to himself.

Standing at the edge of the pond, Luke wondered what secrets lay beyond it. The possibility of an old mansion situated inside the forest and inhabited by some blood sucking monsters seemed ludicrous. But there was only one way to know the truth and he wanted to see it for himself. If the old tales had any substantiation then there had to be some signs of their veracity.


	7. The Dilemma

**The Dilemma**

A bearded man with auburn hair sat by himself deep in thought. The faint light of a flickering lamp lighted the room which was adorned with antique equipments.

Alex stood at the doorway and looked at the man with empathy. She remembered the first time they had met.

_The clock at Harvard's medical science library struck three in the morning. A lone student sat on one of the desks hidden behind a mountain of books and journals. He was so engrossed in his reading that he did not notice when she came and sat opposite him. _

_Alex pulled out a journal from Reid's stack which immediately caught his attention. He looked at her with an annoyed expression. _

"_Are you Reid Oliver?" Alex's voice was calm as ever. _

"_Do I know you?" Reid asked._

"_No, but I know you." _

"_What do you want?" he retorted._

"_I have to tell you something. There's something about you that you don't know," she said._

"_There's nothing about me that I don't know," Reid said dismissively. He hated wasting time talking to other people, but more than that he despised talking to inebriated students who would only blabber nonsense._

"_I have to go." He sounded irritated._

"_You are a vampire. Well, in the pre-transition period, that is to say." Alex got right to the point. Beating around the bush never worked that well. And besides she knew that there was no rational reasoning she could offer to make the truth seem any less bizarre._

"_I'm not wasting my time talking to you." Reid's voice was as cocky as always. Alex only smiled. That was pretty much the standard reaction she got when she told them the truth._

"_Wait," she called out to Reid who had started packing up his stuff. This time she did not say anything to him but only glinted at him the sinister red of her eyes. It had its due effect. The young Reid looked at her with alarm and wonder._

"_You can't be a vampire." His voice was dead serious with no hint of sarcasm._

"_As a matter of fact, I am one," she answered._

"_Prove it to me." He demanded._

_Had it been anybody else Alex would have shot down any such demands. But the young doctor intrigued her like no other. Most of the people she talked to she could conclude at first sight that they were just not meant to be vampires. She would only hope that they would be lucky enough to never see her again. And many were. But somehow Reid seemed to be born with the aura that hallmarked her kind._

"_Let's go outside," Alex whispered._

_Reid nodded and followed her._

_The street was deserted and dark. She took out a small pen knife from her pocket and reached for Reid's wrist. She admired the fact that he did not once flinch as the knife made a sharp incision across his arm. At the sight of his blood her features transformed dramatically. Her eyes glinted red and her teeth became monstrously sharp and long. Reid watched, aghast as she clenched him tighter with her deadly claws and then buried her fangs in his arm. He tightened his fist as a sharp pain shot through his body. _

_When Alex had transitioned back to her human self she asked, "You believe me now?"_

_Reid looked at her, shock and disbelief visible in his blue eyes. Whatever he had witnessed in the past few minutes was far beyond a practical joke. Yet it was difficult to believe what he had, till now, considered a myth. _

"_See you around, Reid." Alex smiled._

"_I hope never," Reid replied making a silent resolve._

_He stood still on the deserted street as he watched Alex disappear into the night. The gloomy melody of a soft October wind did little to assuage his worries. _

"_It ain't gonna happen, ever," he whispered to himself. However, something inside him had stirred and deep down he knew that one day he would have to accept the inevitable. _

_From then on he buried himself in his practice. He worked with utmost dedication and established himself among the top doctors in the world. Over the years he came to the realization that despite his proximity to human blood he had never had any desire for it. Between his tight schedules and surgeries, the strange encounter with the vampire was soon forgotten. _

"You have tasted it, Reid. You can't deny that," Alex began. She had appreciated the prudence with which the young man usually conducted himself. However when it came to Luke he seemed completely bereft of his reason.

"But it was my own."

"It was blood, nevertheless."

"I won't make my presence known." Reid was almost pleading.

"Reid," Alex sighed sadly, "I'm sorry to say this but you are as much of a danger to Luke as any of us."

"You underestimate me."

"No, I don't. You, no doubt, have a steely hold over your urges. The kind of restraint you have shown is commendable. I'd even say that you are doing as well as I did when I was your age. And trust me when I say that my strength of mind has remained unmatched all these years."

Reid was silent. Although Alex's years of wisdom and abundant experience never showed upon her face, there was an aura of authority that defined her. He knew he would be a fool to doubt her judgment.

"The first time I met you I knew that you were born to be one of us," she continued, "I trust you more than anyone else and yet I have these nagging doubts."

"But there is no way in hell I'd ever do anything to hurt him. And being a vampire doesn't change that."

"I know."Alex agreed. "I would be the last person to keep two lovers apart. It's just that I wouldn't want you to do something that you might regret later."

"Don't worry. I won't," Reid stated firmly and then walked out of the house.

Alex watched him leave. In spite of having the power to stop him, she did not budge. She knew that if there was someone whose sanity and reason persevered even in the silliest of moments, it was Reid.


	8. Wandering Into The Forbidden

****Thank you so much for all your reviews!

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**Wandering Into the Forbidden**

It was late at night and Luke stood shivering in his backyard. He had once again spotted someone near the pond. This time he did not want to tell anybody about it before he had some substantial proof. His pace towards the pond quickened when he heard the sound of splashing of water. What he saw made him go weak in the knees. A man stood across him. The shadows made it impossible for Luke to look at the man's face but he was wearing the same maroon shirt Reid had been wearing on the day of his accident. Luke could see the distinct color of the shirt in the faded white of the moon. Before Luke could make his next move the man had sprinted back into the woods, beckoning him to follow. Suddenly things started making sense to Luke. He realized that the mysterious figure he had been spotting for the past few months was the ghost of his late boyfriend. There were no vampires or thieves stalking him, it had been Reid all along. The memories of that fateful day came rushing to him.

_The doctors had cut Reid open to get his heart only a few hours after he was brought in. But they were greeted with a medical mystery they would not be able to comprehend for the rest of their lives. Reid's heart was more than two hundred years old and could not possibly be transplanted on any human. _

_Later, his body had disappeared from the mortuary. But Bob Hughes was the only one who had noticed how unlike Reid's the strange dead body was._

He wondered what Reid wanted to say to him. Perhaps, Luke thought, Reid's ghost wanted to tell him about the mystery associated with his death. Spirits of dead people who had been wronged often wandered in search of justice.

**His hands clenched the edges of the white basin. He looked at himself in the shards of the ancient looking glass. He could see the sheer hunger in his eyes that did not seem his anymore. And this hunger was not anything like his cravings for food when he lived a normal life. His new, fiercer hunger was for blood but not anybody's blood at that. His sole desire was **_**human blood**_**. **

**His thoughts travelled to Luke. They always did. He remembered the day he had first met Luke. He despised the blonde so much that he wanted to slap the stuck up attitude out of him. But as he came to know him better he realized how different he was. Although, Reid could never deny that even in those initial days he found Luke particularly sexy. He looked into the mirror again and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw his human appearance return. **

Luke stood near the pond still contemplating his decision. He was scared to venture out all by himself. But there was nobody he trusted enough to share this adventure with so he had to embark on it alone. Besides, if it really was Reid's ghost it would probably not hurt him. He took a deep breath and tried to get rid of his fears. He covered his head with the hood of his jacket and started towards the forest. It was impossibly dark and Luke did not want to use his flashlight for the fear of attracting unwanted attention.

There was a rustle of bushes behind him. Luke turned back but he saw nothing. It was then he realized how far into the forest he had travelled. He could no longer see the silver shimmer of the pond in the moonlight. All around him was an impenetrable stretch of the pitch-black forest. He switched his flash light on. Not knowing which way to move he decided to follow the old stony path that Barney had told him about.

A loud growl startled him. This time when Luke turned around he saw a monstrous creature standing before him. Its hungry red eyes stared at him and long yellow fangs had blood smeared on them. Luke's scream reverberated through the forest. He started to run as fast as he could.

**A cry for help echoed in his ears and brought Reid out of his thoughts. Alex had left for a tour some days back and he did not know who else to contact for help. Without wasting any more time he decided to act on his own instincts. **

His foot stumbled on a vine and he fell flat on the ground. The flashlight went flying out of his hand and smashed onto the ground. He was hurriedly trying to untangle his foot from the plant when he heard the sound of footsteps. Luke held his breath. He screamed again when a pair of big and clawed hands grabbed him and hauled him to the nearby tree. Pinning him there, the monster man pressed himself hard against Luke.

"Wow blondie! You really are stupid." He said bringing his face extremely close to Luke's in a creepy and seductive way.

"Get away!" Luke tried to shout but he could not hear his own voice. He tried to free himself from the deadly grasp but in vain. He continued to struggle nevertheless.

"You should consider yourself lucky that I kinda like you." The man whispered in Luke's ear. "I'll make it short and painless."

The monster's hot and foul breath on his face made Luke sick to his stomach. He looked into the brute's unnaturally red eyes and saw them grow brighter with hunger as he began to lower his fangs on his neck. Luke panicked and started to kick fervently against his assailant.

"REID!" Luke shouted as loud as his lungs would allow. He knew how stupid he sounded by shouting out a dead man's name for help but he did not care anymore. His dead boyfriend's name was the last thing he wanted to scream before he died. But the sound of the monster's devilish laughter seemed to engulf his cries.

**When he heard his name ringing through the dead forest, he ran towards the source of the scream. The uncanny familiarity associated with the voice both scared and excited him. He could feel his heart beat faster with every stride. The trees flew past him and he marveled at his newfound strength. **

"You think shouting your dead boyfriend's name is gonna do you any good? And besides, he wouldn't help you even if he were alive. He got himself another slut."

There was a loud smack as Luke's hand made contact with the monster's rugged cheek. The man growled with anger. Luke closed his eyes and braced himself for the impending blow. The man pushed him hard against the tree and crashed his lips against his. Luke uttered a muffled cry as the fiend bit hard on his lower lip and began to suck hungrily on it.


	9. The Truth

**The Truth**

Luke stumbled to the ground when someone pulled the monster off him. He could hear the sounds of a scuffle going on nearby. The dark setting was making it impossible for him to see. He fumbled about for his flashlight. A few minutes later he realized that it had become unusually quiet. He could hear a faint sound of footsteps approaching. Luke held his breath and crouched behind a bush.

"Luke?" a familiar voice called from a distance. Luke jumped at the mention of his name. He did not know whether to respond to it or stay quiet. Maybe it was another trap, he thought. He sat there silently for another few minutes to make sure that he was no longer being hunted.

He slowly got up and tried to find his way back as silently as possible. But the forest was dense and he did not know which direction to move in. Screaming for help was not a good idea either, because that would only attract the dangerous creatures of the forest.

A sudden flash of light hit his face. Luke felt his lungs getting constricted with emotions and fear as he stood facing his dead boyfriend.

"Reid?" Luke almost choked with tears.

Reid stared blankly. He tried not to notice the bright red cut on Luke's lower lip. He could smell it though, the sweet scent of the blonde's blood.

"R-Reid" Luke called again. He could not believe what he was seeing.

"It's a dream," he muttered to himself when Reid did not respond.

"It's not." Reid's voice was firm and cold. Luke's heart skipped a beat. There was no mistaking the voice of his late boyfriend."

"Are you a ghost?" Luke's voice was almost a whisper now. He moved closer to Reid. "But you look so real."

"I am real." Reid looked intently at Luke. He wondered if he should tell the truth about himself. But he was also worried about how Luke would react.

Luke moved closer to Reid and held the doctor's face between his hands. "I love you. And I've missed you." He said looking right into those blue eyes he thought he would never see again.

"Aren't you dating Noah?" Reid could hear the jealously in his own voice.

"I thought you were dead!" Luke retorted.

"I'm sorry. My jealous self got the best of me." At that moment he wanted to kiss Luke hard but he dared not. He was scared of losing control. The mere sight of Luke's bloody lip was making his senses go wild. They only looked at each other as if in a trance.

Luke could not hold himself back any longer. Without warning he crashed his lips to his lover's. Reid felt the strong taste of the blonde's blood spread across his tongue. The transition was quick and he felt his resolve of restraint wear thin. His inner monster was clawing at him from the inside to be let free. He struggled hard against himself and his growls and gasps did not go unnoticed by Luke.

Luke quickly broke the kiss and looked at Reid with concern. He was shocked to see the sudden changes that had appeared in his ex-boyfriend's facial appearance. Reid's deep blue eyes had streaks of red which made him look like a hungry predator. And he had grown long and sharp fangs that made Luke recoil with fear. But Reid held him firmly.

"Let me go!" Luke shouted.

"It's me," Reid hissed sharply, "It's what I have become." He felt the unnatural hunger in him retreat.

Luke saw Reid's eyes turn blue again. "Y- You are," he swallowed hard, "not quite like you used to be."

"And I'll never be," Reid sounded pained, "I can't be human again."

Luke was silent. He did not want to think about the likely reason why Reid wanted to keep a distance from him.

"I wish I could, though," Reid sighed, "Just to be with you."

"I don't care," Luke whispered. He felt the warm tears flow down his cheeks. He knew that the inevitability of their separation was hurting Reid as much as it was hurting him. "Take me with you." He held tightly onto Reid's arm, not wanting to let go.

Reid looked at the blond and wished that he could say something else, "I am about as dangerous to you as that man who attacked you. And I'll be damned if I ever hurt you."

"I know you won't."

"It's not something I can control."

"But you're not hurting me now," Luke tried to convince Reid, "And you never would."

"Luke, we both know this can't happen," Reid replied, "I can't return to the mortal world and neither can you flee from it." He paused and then continued, "I'm sorry."

"I can't live without you, Reid!" Luke cried.

"Yes you can." Reid brushed away a few tears from Luke's face. "You need to move on with Noah."

Luke sighed and sat down on the grassy path. He knew that there was no way he could avoid the inevitable but that did not mean he wanted to face it right now. Reid sat beside him and took him in his arms. They sat huddled in the dark for a long time.

"You have to go." Reid finally broke the silence between them. "Your family will get worried."

"Okay," Luke answered reluctantly but did not make any efforts to move away from Reid. He locked eyes with the vampire before he asked him, "Will I get to see you again?"

"Every Halloween," Reid answered with a smile, "Find me near the pond." He whispered in Luke's ear and then kissed him. He sucked at Luke's lower lip and tasted the sweet blood once more. This time he kept a steely hold on his human form and did not transition. He could not let anything overcome his love for Luke.

Alex stood in the shadows and watched the star-crossed lovers. She was glad that she did not have to make her presence known. Reid had conducted himself with an honor seldom seen among the new transitions and she was proud of that.


	10. Every Halloween

****This is the last chapter of this story.

Hope you all enjoyed reading and thanks for the reviews :)

PS. I might continue this story with a sequel sometime later when I have more ideas in my head.

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**Every Halloween**

_Seven years later_

The Snyder household bustled with energy as the family met for Halloween dinner.

"Grandma!" Little Carol and Johnson got out of their car and ran to meet their granny.

Lily hugged and kissed her favorite grandchildren. She knew the depths she had gone to get their parents together. And watching them grow into a happy little family made her heart weep with joy. Luke and Noah followed their kids into the farmhouse. They have been married for six years now and their life was bliss.

The October chills made everyone lazy and the entire family went to bed soon after the lavish dinner. Luke hoped that his children would not give him a hard time putting them to bed. Fortunately for him they had been running around with their cousins the entire day and seemed drowsy at dinner. Two year old Carol had fallen asleep in Lily's arms while he had cleared the dining table. He kissed Noah goodnight, feigning sleepiness.

Luke waited for the grandfather clock to strike one hour past midnight. He turned on his side, restless with anticipation. Even after years of following the same routine on Halloween he would still get nervous like the first time. An hour later, he quietly got out of bed. Making sure that his husband was fast asleep, he made his way to the nearest window. The farm was covered in a light mist that made it difficult for him to see.

The house was dark and silent. Luke quietly tiptoed downstairs towards the kitchen. He waited in the dark hallway for some time to make sure that he would not be interrupted by anybody. He picked up the bag of pumpkin pies he had secretly prepared that evening and sneaked outside.

He walked towards the pond. A cold wind was blowing and he pulled his coat tightly around him. As he neared the margin of the forest he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing in the shadows. Luke's heart beat faster as he approached Reid.

"Hey." Luke greeted him. Reid's dark auburn hair was unkempt and he had grown a lazy stubble but he still managed to look as sexy as ever. The thought made Luke smile.

"You got my pies?" He asked eagerly.

"Reid!" Luke pretended to be offended, "You only wait for the pies?"

"Come here." Reid took hold of Luke's wrist and pulled him close. Luke's heart still skipped a beat whenever Reid did that. Their faces were mere inches apart but Luke knew that his ex-boyfriend would not kiss him. So he would just put his head across the vampire's chest and listened to his heart beat rhythmically and strongly.

Arm in-arm they made their way into the forest. They always took a long walk in the shadows of the long trees. It was in those few moments that they would enter a world entirely of their own where their forms were concealed by the dark and the sound of their laughter was drowned by the whistling wind.

The first time Luke had wandered there he had been petrified but with Reid he did not care. As long as his guardian _vampire _was around Luke knew that nothing could harm him. After a few hours they walked back to the pond. Luke often marveled at how Reid never lost his way. He could predict every twist and turn in that maze of a forest even in the dark. But that would not stop Luke from wishing that they would, sometimes, get lost in those woods.

"You'll meet me again next Halloween. Won't you?" Luke always asked Reid the same question before they parted.

"Every Halloween, my word stands till eternity." Reid answered with a smile.

Luke walked back hoping that next Halloween would come soon. The long wait was never that hard for him. Though there were times when he wished that Reid would be the one sleeping next to him every night. But he would always tell himself that anything was better than not having met Reid again. It was just the satisfaction of knowing that Reid was still alive and somewhere out there that made him want to live once more.

Reid waited in the shadows and watched Luke until he was safely inside his house. He gave a little sigh before shouldering on to his own home. It wasn't enough, these few moments with Luke. He was always left wanting more. The flame of hope in his heart, the hope that they would one day lose themselves to each other, burned brighter every year. And he knew Luke felt the same way too.


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